Rice University experts available to comment on vice presidential debate

HOUSTON — (Oct. 9, 2012) – Thursday’s vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican nominee Paul Ryan is expected to cover a range of domestic and international issues. The following Rice University experts are available to comment on the major topics at play:

Presidential politics, policy and the role of government:

Douglas Brinkley, a fellow in history at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and a professor of history, can comment on the history of presidential debates in the United States and their impact on the race for president.

Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, can discuss the American presidency, political parties, debates, public opinion polls, electoral politics and candidates’ positions on the various issues.

Mark Jones, professor and chair of political science and a fellow at the Baker Institute, can comment on local news angles, including Texas’ role in the 2012 presidential race.

Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and a fellow in urban politics at the Baker Institute, can discuss public opinion polls, voting behavior, electoral politics and public policy.

The art and science of debate:

David Worth, director of Rice’s speech and debate team, the George R. Brown Forensics Society, and a lecturer in the School of Humanities, can discuss the foundations of debate, argumentation and persuasion.

Jobs, the economy and taxes:

John Diamond, an economist and the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance at the Baker Institute, can discuss federal tax and expenditure policy and its implications.

Russell Green, an economist and the Will Clayton Fellow in International Economics, can discuss the role of international finance in the 2012 election, including issues surrounding the Chinese exchange rate and its impact on the U.S. economy.

Foreign policy:

Richard Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair of Political Science, can discuss the major foreign policy issues currently facing the U.S. and how the country’s foreign policy could evolve under a future Democratic or Republican presidential administration.

Health care policy and economics:

Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, can discuss the key health care reform issues affecting the nation in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act last summer and how this reform could evolve under a future Democratic or Republican presidential administration.

Elena Marks, the Baker Institute scholar in health policy, can discuss Texas news angles and policy issues, including health insurance exchanges, Medicaid expansion and the number of uninsured people.

Energy:

Ken Medlock, the Baker Institute’s James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, can discuss the major energy issues at play in the 2012 election.

Rice University has a VideoLink ReadyCam TV interview studio. ReadyCam is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality standard-definition and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7.

To schedule an interview with any one of these experts, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute sponsors more than 20 programs that conduct research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.